Projectile



Dec. 26, 1944. w LANDEN ETA-L 2,365,708

PROJECTILE Filed June 7, 1941 Inventors William LI-L-lE-fldETL :Laggph H- Church Wilfred E Thi'hcadeau Attmr'neys Patented Dec. 26, 1944 PROJECTILE William J. Landen, Arlington, Va... Joseph H.

Church, Austin, Minn., deau, Cleveland, Ohio,

and Wilfred E. Thibo- Application June 7, 1941, Serial No. 397,128

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manu-, factured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to projectiles for either rifled or smooth bore weapons.

In small caliber projectiles of the incendiary and explosive type, the methods of loading and of providing a safe and efiicient ignition means should be correlated to facility of manufacture. Accordingly it is proposed in this invention to utilize a commercially available rim fire cartridge case or similar readily available hollow rim cape sule in association with elements of a jacket whereby the primer composition at, the base of the projectile will be ignited on impact.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of the invention.

Figures 2' and 3 v are longitudinal sectional views of modified forms of the invention.

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are detailed sectional views of portions of the devices illustrating various modifications of means for securing against setback.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of a modification with the capsule shown in elevation.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, Figure 1 shows a projectile comprising a cartridge case 5, an inner shell 6 having an ogival nose! and an outer shell 8 having a base 9. I The cartridge case is of a standard rim fire type. A primer composition II may be spun into the rim III in the usual manner or as shown may occupy the entire base of the cartridge case. The space usually carrying the propellent charge is filled with a main charge of an incendiary or explosive compound I2, and a booster or sub-igniter charge I3 may be inserted between the primer and the main charge I2. The front end of the cartridge case may be closed by a cap of the type sometimes used in blasting caps and commercial detonators or by a lacquer or wax seal.

The inner shell 6 is fitted over the case 5 and its edge I4 is positioned in front of the rim Ill. The outer shell 8 is fitted over the inner shell with its base 9 supporting the base I5 of the cartridge case. The outer shell receives the impact of the propelling charge and takes the rifiing of the gun barrel. One simple expedient for transmitting the driving force of the outer shell to the other parts consists in connecting the inner and outer shells by crimping them as shown at I6. An alternate method of transmitting the driving force consists in forming a head I! on the inner shell 6 and forcing it into engagement,

with the front edge of the outer shell 8,' as shown in Fig. 4. Sensitivity may be regulated by controlling this engagement.

On impact with a target, the inner shell 6 is arrested in its motion while the remaining elements continue forwardly. The resultant compression of the rim Ill between the base 9 and the edgeI4 initiates the priming II which in turn sets off the charge I2. Ignition may be facilitated by notching or otherwise varying the form of the edge I4.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figure 2 the ogival nose portion I of the inner shell 6 is removed and the cartridge 5 is, as in Fig. 1, loaded with an explosive material I 2. In this modification, however, a penetrating projectile I8 is securely seated in the mouth of the cartridge 5. The efiect produced by the compound projectilewill not be unlike that produced by large caliber weapons using projectiles similar to those shown in the patents to Hoxie, No. 911,591, Dunwoody, No. 1,150,667 and Taylor 1,335,406. The initial impact of the shell 6 on a target plate I9 sets up a strain in the plate which will be greatly augmented by the succeeding impact of the penetrative projectile I8 against the already strained plate. For support against setback the inner and outer shells 6 and 8 may be connected by either of the expedients shown in Figures 1 and 4.

In the modification shown in Figure 3,, the inner and outer shells may be connected together as previously described prior to loading. For convenience in loading, this modification has been provided with a removable screw threaded base plate 20. The priming material II is contained in the rim I 0 of a capsule 2I supported at its base on the base plate 20 with the rim behind the edge I4 of the inner shell. In this modification the explosive or incendiary charge I2 is contained in a capsule 22 having a suitably shaped rearward extension 23 to support it against setback and being provided with perforations 24 for the passage of the igniting flame. It is not, however, essential to the invention that the charge I2 be contained in a capsule of any sort and it is contemplated that the charge be loaded directly into the inner shell 6. The use of a removable base plate has the obvious ad- I 2,365,70Sff vantage of safety in manufacture as no explosive or incendiary charges are in place during the crimping operations.

Various other modifications may be made in the base construction as shown in Figures 5, 6,

'7 and 8 'withoutfldeparting from the, spirit of the invention. taining capsule 22 is supported against setback in the inner shell 6 by a suitable threaded cn-'" .10

nection as at 25. In the modification shown in Figure 6 the capsule 22 is supported by having an outwardly turned flange 26 engagedbetween the edge 14 of the shell 6 and the rim lll'of'the capsule. In Figure 7 the primer II is confined in a capsule 21 having a forwardly extending portion 28 which may be of any length and may or may not serve to contain the explosive charge Y 12 or a part thereof.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figure 8 the outer shell -8 may be of gilding metal or the like and the inner shell member 6 0i steel or other hard metal having a solid ogival nose portion 1. The cartridge case 5,shown in in elevation, 'is inserted-into the interior of the shell 6 as in Figure 1 with the'primer containing rim l0 ,arranged behind the rear edge of the shell 6. A shoulder 29 formed in the outer shell and a cooperating shoulder 30 on the inner shell serve to support the inner shell against setback. A small clearance may be provided between the base l5 of the cartridge case and the base 9 of the outer shell/ Upon impact of the ogival portion with a target, the outer shell will tend to continue forward. The wedging'action of the shoulder 30 againstthe softer material ofthe outer shell will tend to expand the outer shellleaving it free to. drive forward against the inner shell crushing the primer between the rear edge of the inner shell and the base of the outer shell. Prior to loading in a gun'and firing of the propellent charge the base of the projectile will In Figure 5 the explosive conbe seen that the projectile will be safe in storage and handling as well as bore safe in firing.

It will be noted that as the priming charge is preloaded in the rim, the operation of the priming unit is independent of centrifugal force and smooth bore weapons.

y We claim:

the device will function equally 'well in rifled or 1. A projectile comprising an outer cup-shaped shell of a relatively soft metal having an interior forwardly facing shoulder, an inner shell mem- 1 her of a relatively hard metal slidably fitted in and extending forwardly'of said outer shell and "having an exterior rearwardlyfacing shoulder engaging saidfirst mentioned shoulder to support the inner shell against setback with'its rear i edge spaced from the bottom of the outer shell,

a main charge in saidinner shell, a capsule inserted in said inner shell having a rim posibe supported by the neck of the cartridge case 3| against any tendency to expand radially to allow crushing of the primer. After firing the walls of the bore will continue to support the outer shell until the projectile leaves the barrel.. It will tioned in the space between the rear edge of the inner shell and the bottom 'of the outer shell,

said capsule containing at'least a part of'saidmain charge, and'a priming charge in the rim,

said shoulders being positioned'in the portionof the projectile adapted to be engaged by the neck of a cartridge case for support thereby against" shell, an intermediate shell slidably fitted in the space between the inner and outer shells with its forward end extending beyond the forward end of the outer shell with its-rear 'endadjacent to and in line with the rim of the capsule, said intermediate shell beingadapted to act as a" firing pin upon impact of the projectile, and means for 1 maintaining the outer and intermediate shells relatively positioned against the forces of set-- back. e 1

- WILLIAM J. LANDEN.

JOSEPH CHURCH. 'WILFlRE-D TI-IIBODEAU. 

